Ruth, a stranger, and the grace of God in the midst of evil

The Book of Ruth tells us also of the days of the judges, when
there was no king in Israel; but it shews us the fair side of those
days, in the operations of the grace of God, who (blessed be His
name!) never failed to work in the midst of the evil, as also in
the steady progress of events towards the fulfilment of His
promises in the Messiah, whatever may have been the simultaneous
progress of the general evil. Ruth, a stranger seeking shelter by
faith under the wings of the God of Israel, is received in grace,
and the genealogy of David, king over Israel according to grace, is
linked with her. It is the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Himself
after the flesh.

The typical character of the book

This book appears to me to set before us in type, the reception
in grace of the remnant of Israel in the last days, their Redeemer
(the kinsman, who has the right of redemption) having taken their
cause in hand. Eli-Melech (which signifies God the King) being
dead, Naomi (my delight, my pleasure) becomes a widow, and
eventually loses her children also. She typifies the Jewish nation,
who, having lost her God, is like a widow and has no heir. Yet
there shall be a remnant, destitute of all right to the promises
(and therefore prefigured historically by a stranger), who will be
received in grace (similarly to the Gentiles and the assembly * )
-- who will faithfully and heartily identify itself with desolate
Israel; for Ruth clave to her and to her God (see chap. 1: 16). God
will own this remnant, which, poor and afflicted itself, will in
heart obey the commands given to the people. Naomi, who in her
destitution is a type of the nation, acknowledges her condition:
she calls herself Mara (bitterness). He who was nearest of kin,
who would willingly have redeemed the inheritance, refuses to do
so, if Ruth must be taken with it. The law was never able (nor the
assembly either) to re-establish Israel in their inheritance, nor
to raise up in grace the name of the dead.

Boaz, the Kinsman-Redeemer

Boaz (in him is strength), upon whom the remnant had no direct
claim (and who typifies Christ risen, in whom are the sure mercies
of David), undertakes to raise up the name of the dead, and to
re-establish the heritage of Israel. Acting in grace and in
kindness, and encouraging the patient humble faith of the remnant,
the meek of the earth, he shews himself faithful to fulfil the
purpose and the will of God with respect to this poor desolate
family. Nothing can be more touching and exquisite than the details
given here. The character of Ruth, this poor woman of the Gentiles,
has great beauty. "Naomi took the child that was born to her, and
laid it in her bosom"; and they said, "There is a son born to
Naomi." In fact the heir of the promises will be born unto Israel
as a nation, although the fulfilment of the promise affects the
remnant only, which, fully identifying itself with the interests of
God's people, has sought neither the rich nor the poor, but, in
faith and obedience, has kept the testimony of God amongst the
people in the path appointed by Him.

The contrast between the books of Ruth and Judges

Thus, if on one side the Book of Judges shews us the falling
away of the people of Israel, and their failure under
responsibility, even when God was their helper, on the other side
this touching and precious book sets before us, as the dawn of
better things, grace acting in the midst of difficulties, securing
the fulfilment of promise, and embellishing this scene of misery
and sin by lovely and beautiful instances of faith, precious fruits
of grace, whether in weakness and devotedness, or in strength and
kindness, and always in accordance with the perfect will of God,
and assuring by this touching history, as a type, the full
restoration of Israel to blessing according to promise. It is a
refreshing and lovely picture in the midst of the hard-mindedness
and sorrows of Israel.

Ruth as the intermediate link between Israel's fall and prophecy

In the succeeding books we shall see prophecy, and the history
of God's dealings, developing the body of events which tended to
the fulfilment of His designs, the first principles, the elements,
of which are laid down in that which is shewn us in this. For Ruth
furnishes a kind of intermediate link between the fall of Israel
under God's immediate government, and the future fulfilment of His
purposes. Prophecy, which unfolds these purposes and gives moral
proof of this fall, begins with Samuel: we learn this from the
apostle Peter, and that Christ is the object of prophecy (see Acts
3: 24). Eli, the last judge and priest, departs; his family is to
be cut off; the ark of the covenant is taken by the Philistines;
and Samuel, consecrated to God in a new and extraordinary manner,
comes in with the special testimony of the Lord.